Inspired by the gambling episode in the ancient Hindu
epic The Mahabharata, this rare classic of Indian silent
cinema tells of two kings who share a passion for
reckless gambling, and for the same woman.

A Throw of Dice (Prapancha Pash) is the third film in a
pioneering trilogy of silent films made through a unique
partnership between German director Franz Osten and
Indian actor-producer Himansu Rai, whose films combined
documentary techniques with narratives derived from
Indian myths and legends. After the beautiful Sunita
nurses Ranjit back to health following dramatic events
during a royal tiger hunt, his wicked rival Sohat
persuades him to risk his kingdom and his love in a
fateful game of dice.

Shot on location in Rajasthan, the film features over
ten thousand extras and an impressive array of horses,
elephants and tigers. Its star actors all had major
careers in Indian cinema and remain legendary and
much-loved figures. Rai stars in the role of nefarious
Sohat, with Charu Roy as Ranjit, and Seeta Devi (the
Anglo-Indian actress born Renee Smith) as Sunita.

Here we have another
outstanding release from the BFI of a film that might
normally escape the radar of even the most dedicated
cinephile here in the West. As the description from their
website states, the film concerns the exploits of two
princess, both in love with the same woman and both addicted
to gambling. While I won't give too much away, the film
avoids the clichés of a simplistic morality tale and instead
creates a hybrid melodrama, action, and romance. The image
on the disc looks astounding for a film that's now 80 years
old. There are fine levels of grain and few scratches or
other distortions.

The audio is crystal clear
in Dolby Digital 2.0 and has a brand new score by Nitin
Sawhney that uses traditional Indian music to great effect.
The intertitle cards are in English, so there are no
subtitles for the film itself (although the interview with
Sawhney does have optional English subtitle), but since the
film is a co-production between the UK, Germany, and India,
I have no idea whether they are the original ones that
accompanied the film. Finally, the disc comes with the sort
of insightful booklet that we'd expect from the folks at BFI.
It's wonderful to have this film on DVD and the disc is
certainly recommended. Thanks for the work, BFI!